Gibside Trail 10k, 30th April 2025
Cate Walker reports on a warm evening at Gibside:
“This was my first visit to Gibside, my first Wild Deer event, and the only event I’ve paid to enter in my running history to date with ‘trail’ in the name (I wouldn’t say my first trail course because of cross-country!). So, lots of firsts to contribute to the excitement.
It was a beautiful evening as we drove over, and it actually worked out not too hot for running with all the tree cover. Spring-fresh rather than summer-balmy. The Gibside estate was a sensory delight, with blossom in full flower, gorgeous sunlight transforming the buildings and coming through the trees, and the scent of wild garlic in patches as we ran (one of the smells I most associate with spring).
Nina and I were the only Claremonters in attendance, but I started out with a friend from Gateshead parkrun. Seeing Nina on the start line, I commented that maybe I should have signed up for the 5k rather than the 10k for my first (official) foray into trail running, and she reassured me (with a slight twinkle of the eye) that the 5k still had all the climbs without the prettiest bits. So, maybe I’d made the right decision after all.
There were 262 of us on the 10k course (and a further 106 doing 5k), and it was a short walk through the walled garden to the start. An overview of the course was given, most of which went over my head not knowing the estate, but I was pleased to hear that flat stretches and downhills were mentioned as well as climbs.
We set out, with a nice flat-ish stretch for a mile or so. Having pushed myself on every 10k I’d done this year so far, I enjoyed running and taking in the surroundings without looking at my watch or trying to maintain a particular position. We soon got to the first extended climb and like many people, I ran-walked it (a sign shortly before the hill for the 5k people to take a different path had me slightly questioning Nina’s comment on the start line, but by that point it was all part of the fun). I’d soon left my parkrun friend behind, but when I looked back she was urging me to go on, so, feeling good and relatively strong, I did.
I shortly caught up with Nina, who also urged me to keep going in a typically encouraging way. Nina and I were in fairly close proximity for much of the course, and she even gave me some downhill windmill arm tips along the way! There was certainly lots of downhill in the middle part, followed by a nice stretch along the river, but I knew it couldn’t be too long before we would be climbing again!
The last significant climb definitely felt the steepest, and the run-walk ratio was tipped to favour the latter! We emerged onto a track where there was a water station and I greedily took three cups – two to drink, one to pour over myself – and ran on, adequately refreshed. I don’t know if it was this, the flat out-and-back path to finish, or the prospect of the end, but something kicked in and I found myself running hard and overtaking people. I genuinely loved the last mile, which isn’t something I normally find with a race!
After crossing the finish line, there was water, a lovely wooden medal, a choice of snacks and second (i.e. non-water) drink, and a choice of Wild Deer goodies to choose from. I went for the keep-cup, and later ended up with a lovely brightly coloured Wild Deer buff too, due to the generosity of my friend.
Many photos later, as we walked back to the car, talking in the stunning sunset, I said I’d definitely do this race next year. As a first trail race, it was probably a fairly gentle intro – certainly on the basis of the terrain and conditions, if not the undulating course! Who knows, maybe I’ve got the trail run bug. Either way, it was a truly lovely evening, and as ever, made better by the Claremont cameraderie, even on a small (two-person!) scale.”
| Position | Runner | Time |
| 59 | Cate Walker (2nd F40) | 55:16 |
| 74 | Nina Jensen (2nd F50) | 56:14 |
